Microbiomes: A new National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR)
Complex communities of microbes – microbiomes – are essential to humans, animals and plants. Microbiomes usually consist of up to several hundred types of bacteria that interact with each other, with their hosts and with the environment. Due to their complexity, microbiomes are difficult to understand.
Jan Roelof van der Meer, Professor in Environmental Microbiology at the University of Lausanne, and (Swiss Plant Science Web member) Julia Vorholt, Professor of Microbiology in the Department of Biology at ETH Zurich, will head the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) “Microbiomes” for the next four years.
The aim of the interdisciplinary research network is to identify the principles that govern microbiomes across biological systems. In addition, the researchers will construct or specifically modify microbiomes. This can be used, for example, to eliminate pathogens in humans and plants or to stabilise microorganisms with desired properties. In this way, the scientists hope to exploit the potential of microbiomes. Researchers from three other departments at ETH Zurich, EPFL, Lausanne University Hospital, the University of Bern and the University of Zurich are involved in the NCCR “Microbiomes”.
NCCRs operate for a period of four years: They can be renewed twice for a second and a third phase, resulting in a total of 12 years duration.
Source
ETH Zurich News